01/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2025 15:02
Army Lt. Col. Juan Talamantes spent his final 18 months in uniform as the director of Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services' Central region. When his moment to retire came after 29 years in the military, he pursued the chance to remain with the agency, in part due to a Defense Department initiative called SkillBridge.
Essentially, SkillBridge allows warfighters the opportunity to receive industry-specific training, apprenticeship, or internship during their final six months of service. During that transition period, the military continues providing the servicemember's normal compensation and benefits, while the partner organization provides the training and helps accumulate knowhow.
Talamantes said he "had a really great experience" while overseeing DLA's reverse logistics personnel and contractors in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Once he started receiving the Army's mandatory "Soldier For Life" transition assistance training, a presenter shared a SkillBridge overview with his class and he recognized a chance to put the program to work for him and for DLA Disposition Services.
"It's a highly valuable opportunity for every serviceperson - regardless of branch, rank, or position - even if you have a plan, it's a great opportunity to validate that plan," Talamantes said, noting that he knew a fellow Army lieutenant colonel who developed a SkillBridge role with the automaker Tesla and eventually locked in a job with the company.
The program is one among several references for servicemembers transitioning from active-duty service in the near future. Currently, more than 9,000 current training partnership opportunities are listed within the DOD Skillbridge website and can be accessed online here. The site touts a healthy mix of government and non-government participant organizations.
As for Talamantes, his uniformed experience as region director, combined with the additional education he received during his SkillBridge stint in San Antonio, resulted in a job offer to become area manager at the agency's property disposal site in Kuwait. He said the position is a one-year rotational billet, but "I plan to be here longer than that."